Tears, pain, and love
by MoonshineInHerEyes
Summary: A story about two relationships that began and ended at the same moment. The moment full of misery and pain. And then came love ... and it walked away, quietly as it appeared before.
1. Prologue

Well, this is my first fanfiction and first story I've ever written in English. The idea was just too strong to let it go and I had to put it away from my mind (well, an idea is most resilient and invasive parasite right? ) Sorry for my English, it's big sh*t, but I hope I wrote this story in understandable form And I would be so glad if you would leave any comment, I'd like to know your opinion on this story. And any correction of my English will be sooo much welcomed and constructive critique too, because it always kicks me to write more So enjoy and comment!

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Inception and any of its character, they belong to one very talented man - Ch. Nolan

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**Tears, pain, and love**

There was a flare. A strange sound of skidding tires. A crash. So loud and severe. Then pain. Woman's panic cry. And then silence, so deep and pure as his body began to shrink with the momentum of his car. His mind flied up like feather, slowly leaving him in his agony. His vision was blur, his muscles weak and sore. And then it began again – woman's scream, desperate and full of pain. It lasted years, maybe decades and then it faded away just like his mind eternity ago. There was feeble movement somewhere close to him. He heard sirens. And some voice coming from afar but he couldn't hear what it was trying to say …

* * *

"Eames?"

"Yeah?"

Silence.

"Arthur, love, is it you?"

Another voiceless moment.

"Yes …"

"Darling? Are you okay? Did something happen?"

"Th-there was … an accident … I …"

The voice on the other side cracked and all he could hear was just heavy breathing. His stomach curled in anxiety.

"Arthur? Where are you right now? I'll come for you."

* * *

He was sitting alone in long corridor, his gaze was lost and lifeless. He heard someone calling his name with trembling voice. His head slowly turned at the man who had appeared from the corner. Their eyes met for a long agonized moment, one look was tensed and full of fear, another disinterested and tired.

"Oh my …" whispered the older man still standing at the corner. "Arthur …"

Arthur moved his gaze back to the opposite wall. He was evidently still shocked.

"What happened? Where is she?" His voice crossed the space between them and hit Arthur's ears like a knife. He stayed silent but his eyes were fixed on the older man again.

"God dammit, talk to me!" shouted he and moved to motionless Arthur. He grabbed his shoulders and shook him. Younger's man body waggled from side to side like a rag doll.

"Have you slept with her?" asked he suddenly and his eyes came back to life with anger. The older man looked at him confusedly, his mouth opened in surprise.

"What? …" whispered he quietly. "It's not your business." replied he sharply.

"Of course it is my business. She's my closest friend!" uttered he peevishly and slowly stood up on his shaking legs. The other man hurriedly flinched from him.

"Hey, hey, calm down. Okay, we've slept together. So what?"

"So what?" whispered he angrily. "So what? She is pregnant because of you, you idiot!" screamed he and hit him in the face.

He was suddenly washed over by guilt when man fell against the wall. Silence occurred between them, shocked and heavy. They were looking at each other, slowly absorbing Arthur's words.

Older man straightened up and came closer to Arthur. He sat down on the hospital bench and looked up at the younger man. They stayed silent, each of them rapt in his own thoughts.

"I want to marry her." whispered Cobb firmly. "If she agrees …"

Then appeared doctor. He was young, his gown was ironed and white, his eyes attentive and cheerful.

"Mr. … Cobb?" asked he politely and looked at Arthur. He shook his head and pointed to the older man.

"Oh, sorry." said he to Arthur and then he turned to Cobb. "Mr. Cobb, could you come with me, please? Your girlfriend is awake."

Cobb gave Arthur one last look. There wasn't anger or fear or hate. His eyes were soft and they were asking him for something. Arthur nodded his head in approval. Two men went away and left him behind. And he was alone. Again.

* * *

He watched Eames opening his apartment's door and followed him inwards. He heard a loud slam as the door was closed again and his head exploded in pain. He groaned and moved himself to his bedroom, threw himself in bed leaving Eames stay in the door frame, his eyes carefully watching his every weak movement.

"Are you sure you'll be okay darling?"

"Yes. Thanks for picking me up."

Eames sat on Arthur's bed and reached down his hand. He felt the shivering of younger man's body which was cold and tense.

"Don't try to touch me." warned him Arthur darkly and sat beside him to prevent him from another attempts. Eames gave him playful look and tried to catch his gaze.

"You can go, Eames. I can take care of myself."

"Well, you don't look so good, pet so I think that I'll stay for a while."

Arthur mumbled something and huffily moved to the window. He looked out at the streets full of cars and sounds and people …

"Who was that woman?" asked Eames quietly. He couldn't take the silence that appeared between them, he wanted to hear Arthur's voice, no matter how shaky it was. He couldn't let him drown in depression.

"Mallorie … Dom's girlfriend. We've met in the high school." Answered he slowly, carefully pronouncing every word. He paused and returned back to bed. "And this evening … She was so excited. She was so beautiful …"

_"Darling, could you drive me home, please? I'm so tired__, I need to get home …"_

_And he said yes._

_They sat in his car. He started up. They should not to drive far._

_There was a lot of laughing. There was Aerosmith's song playing from the radio. And there was some bloody bastard who was too drunk to drive._

_And there were two people in the car. A woman who needed to drive away and a man who wasn't able to say no to her._

_"I'm pregnant darling."_

_"I'm pregnant and he does not even know this."_

_He wanted to make her feel better. To blow away the pain she was trying to cry out as she was lying somewhere close to him. He wan__ted to kill that bloody bastard who caused her this pain. We wish he just could do anything for her … _

"Arthur?"

He jerked himself and looked at Eames. The Englishman was watching him worriedly, unsure what to do or say.

"It wasn't your fault." said he finally, trying to cheer Arthur up. "You're not responsible for what happened today."

Arthur curled down on his bed without a word.

"And she's alive, right? And her child will be okay too. There's no reason to feel guilty, mate." said he brightly and stood up to leave. "I'd rather go. Sleep well darling. If something, call me, alright?"

"Eames?" whispered Arthur desperately and jumped from his bed. "Don't … don't go."

Eames looked at him surprised when Arthur moved towards him. Englishman stopped him right before the younger man could do anything else and looked carefully in his brown eyes.

"Arthur, you're not conscious … I should go …" mumbled he in the air between their faces. But instead of moving away he pressed his lips against Arthur's.

"Please, stay …"

And he stayed.

* * *

**SIX YEARS ****LATER**

It was raining. Heavy drops of water were falling down from steely grey sky, tirelessly. The sound of these drops hitting wet ground was loud and it filled silence occurred between people. They were standing, motionless, like black statues from worst nightmares. Their faces were pale and their eyes were full of tears. They were standing and watching gruesome hole in the ground. It was opening its mouth, waiting for the body to swallow.

Arthur turned away when they began to put the coffin into the grave. He could hear crying. All around him, hidden behind the curtains of sound of rain. Then he heard weak voice, he turned his head and saw a little boy standing in front of him.

"Uncle Arthur? Where's mommy?"

He looked away again unable to move or say anything. She is gone, he wanted to say. But she loved you, she always will. But he couldn't speak. He was just staying there like everyone else, moveless, he let the raindrops soak in his clothes and cold fill whole his shivering body. Then he looked down but the boy was gone. He was standing near his sister, his eyes were full of confusion.

The coffin was gone.

It was draped with heavy and wet loam.

The body inside it was dead and cold.

The woman was dead.

It was over.

End of the story.

He began to walk away, leaving crowd of people behind him. He returned back to his car and sat in. He was empty. Every feeling was gone. He was alone with his pain again, like six years ago in another car. But there was no woman crying away her pain. There were no lights and sirens. No bloody bastard who was too drunk to ride. Everything was calm and silent. The only thing he could hear were raindrops falling from grey sad sky.

He felt movement it the car behind him. He felt soft kiss that reached his neck. He felt hands touching his shoulders. He heard a voice whispering his name. He did not answer it.

He started up.

"Darling?"

"Don't call me that. Where's Cobb?"

"He's away. He'll give you a call tomorrow."

"Okay …"

"So … You're leaving with him?"

"Yes."

"What's wrong?"

No response.

"Please, talk to me."

"We should end this."

His car stopped in front of a cheap hotel. One more brokenhearted look. One more desperate kiss.

"Just go. Please."

And he went out to the pouring rain. Without any word.

He shouted the car's door.

He entered his hotel.

He disappeared in his apartment.

Arthur stepped on the gas and drove away.

Everything was over.

Just like that.

End of the story.

* * *

So, this is it ;) I hope you liked the story because I enjoyed writing it so much ... And please, leave a comment guys! ^^


	2. Welcome to Paris, September 2001

So, here is it: unplanned sequel to my first Inception fanfic. There will be an "off-topic speech" first because I want to say and describe few things, so sorry for that ^^  
First thing: I want to say thanks to users Efcia and xXFissshBonesssXx who gave me first reviews and kicked me to write more :D It helped me so much ;))  
Second: I decided to write a "pre-Inception" fic first (by the way, this chapter begins in time before the prologue – Tears, Pain, and Love) to show my conception about how Cobb, Mal, Arthur and Eames met together, but I've got also some ideas to "post-Inception" story which will be some kind of sequel to this story, but ... more about it later, I have to finish this stuff first ;))  
Third: To make the orientation in this fanfiction easier, I'll write in each title in which year the chapter takes place (in my story, Inception is planted in 2010 ;)) ) so I hope no one gets confused.  
Fourth: I'm so sorry for my English, I hope that all my stories will be written in understandable form ;)) If any problems, ideas, anything ... just tell me ;))  
Fifth: Well ... I think that's all and I hope you survived this long and boring speech and you're ready to read next chapter. This one is more "talkative", less emotional I guess, and there is no slash by that time ;D Just wait until Arthur meets Eames ;))

**Disclaimer: I do not own Inception or any of its characters ;P**

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"Well, I hope you know that I'm here just because of you. And I don't think I'll be good in it, they will probably kick me out after first semester."

"Oh, come on darling, stop whining. You will be the best architect I've ever known." Mal turned back at Arthur who was uncomplainingly pacing beyond her and gave him wide cheerful smile trying to subdue man's nervousness.

"Nah, forget about it. I'm still surprised that they admitted me." replied he tartly. "I'm too much detailed to make whole buildings and you _know_ it."

"So you will be decorating other's buildings or creating smaller works. And stop finding problems even before you've started or I'll smash your head against one of these honorable academical walls." she warned him and Arthur rather hushed up. He decided that arguing with Frenchwoman won't bring him anything good so he just continued in slow walk through the College.

Building of the University was exact exhibition of artisrty. At least from the inside of it because he hadn't seen much of its exterior yet. His gaze was drifting all around him, enjoying every second he was in here. There were a lot of details that made this place so unique – even in disposition of bookshelves and benches he could feel geniuses and originality of its creators. Influence of hundreds of talented architects that had ever been pacing through long shadowy corridors was noticeable everywhere.

The corridors were empty but he could hear damped voices coming from several classrooms as they walked past them. They were right in the middle of ordinary school day and Arthur was glad for it, because he could gaze around without any barriers like a crowd of scuttering students.

Suddenly his companion stopped and Arthur narrowly managed to stand still. They were in a long empty and dark corridor with bookshelves on one side and a wall made of many small thick windows on the other. He heard louder voices from somewhere near, talking urgently and fast, and there was a strange smell in the air – strange scent of old books and wood mixed with something else. He took a deep breath and felt specific shiver ON his spine. Despite what he was saying to Mal, things such like he doesn't want to be here, he was glad he arrived.

"Here we go …" whispered Arthur uneasily and watched as Mal opened heavy wooden door. Arthur's breath stopped when they went into the large lecture-room. The atmosphere of this place was stupendous and he wondered about how many of students that have ever entered this old room, young eyes breathlessly watching disquisition of their teacher, minds full of excitement and creative ideas …

"Arthur? I want to introduce you Miles, my father."

Arthur turned his head at Mal with unconcealed surprise. He hadn't noticed when she had moved down across row of seats for students unto the teacher's desk or how she did it so fast as well as he hadn't noticed a severe looking old man who was sitting by this desk.

"Oh …" he mumbled dully and hastily went down to the pair.

"Arthur, this is Miles. Miles, this is my very good friend Arthur. I've told you about him, do you remember?" chittered Mal with wide smile on her beautiful face.

"Pleased to meet you, sir." said Arthur politely and shook with old man's hand. It was shriveled and wrinkled but its grip was surprisingly still stout. The old man smiled at him kindly, which blew away Arthur's anxiety of his severity, and sat back on his chair behind the desk. Arthur noticed that there were a lot of sketches on it. Every sheet of paper was full of sure-footed lines of pencil and he felt a little jealousy about it. He wished he could be thus good to create such professional drafts.

Miles noticed where he was looking at and gave him another wide smile. "These are my student's work. The best ones." he said proudly and collected all papers to one big stack. "But you're not here because of gallery visit, right?"

"I'll leave you two alone." said Mal wit a strange smile on her face and gave Arthur one last encouraging hug. "Don't worry, he won't bite you." whispered she brightly into his ear and then she went out of the room.

"So," started professor slowly, "Mal had told me a lot about you. She said you are very talented architect."

Arthur raised his eyes at the man in surprise, feeling himself more uncertain but complimented at the same time when he thought about what Mal had said to this man. "I don't think I'm so good, I …"

"Oh, stop that. I've seen your works and they are quite good. You're just a little bit more detailed than others but I wouldn't see this fact as a big disadvantage. Trust me, I can differentiate bad students from the good ones. Finally, I'm working as an architect and as a teacher for many years." He grinned at Arthur and run his fingers by the desk. "I can't wait seeing what you can do in action."

Arthur nodded shyly and watched professor's old fingers moving on old gleamless wood. It was smoothed and cracked but it still looked well after these years or decades it had been standing here in this room. He tried to imagine a story of this neatly made piece of furniture, he thought about its past and history, all the tales it could tell, all the people it had seen …

"So, when you'll be able to start?" Professor's questioning voice had distracted him from his thoughts. He looked confusedly at the old man, their eyes remained in contact for a few seconds and then he quickly looked away.

"Well, I think I could start my studies tomorrow. Is it okay?"

"That's great. I'll introduce you some students tomorrow, just come to my cabinet before your schools. These pleasant young people will help you with your beginnings and with them you'll get easily and faster involved in out society."

A wave of suspicion washed over Arthur when professor began enumerating advantages of this process of introducing.

"Ehm, Mr. …" started he hesitantly, but the professor cut him.

"Oh, no, no, just Miles. Please." begged he and beckoned at him slowly, giving him a chance to continue in what he wanted to say.

"Okay … uhm … Miles … She asked you to help me find some friends right?"

"Oh, Mal?" enquired professor but it was just a rhetorical question. "Well, not exactly but …"

There was some sound of careful pat from the doors and they both turned up.

"Professor Miles." said the young man who was standing there quietly. He was older than Arthur, with blond hair and vivid eyes, and evidently he was not one of the students. There was also a strange familiarity in the way he was looking at Miles which made Arthur feel that he wasn't just usual visitor.

"Oh, Arthur, this is Dominic Cobb." said professor solemnly and waved to the man to come down and join them. "He's not a student, he graduated few years ago, but he's still helping me with some projects. He also sometimes teaches students but teaching was never your favorite activity, right Dom?" The other man nodded silently with inkling of a smile and Miles continued. "He was one of my brightest students and he's here to show you university campus and to answer preferably all your questions."

The other man stepped closer to Arthur to shake his hand. "Nice to meet you." said he and this time there was wide and friendly smile on his face.

"Nice to meet you too." responded Arthur briefly, trying to look less disconcerted because of professor's praiseful speech, and then they both looked at Miles, waiting for him to say something.

"Well, I think it's all I wanted to tell you Arthur. I'm really glad you've arrived here and I hope you would like our college. For me it's the best place in the entire world …" he chuckled and returned back to his student's projects. "So, if you've got any questions just ask me or Dom and we'll try to answer them. And if you don't mind, I'll leave you two alone, I have to go and teach some young students how to build properly." He laughed warmly and gave them short friendly smile before they walked back to the corridor.

"So … this is not an ordinary process." Dom began with ghost smile appearing on his face again. "I've never heard about any subsidiary programs for new students so … would you tell me who are you exactly?" He looked questioningly at Arthur and when he saw his hesitative expression he added hurriedly "Oh, I'm sorry. If you don't want to answer, don't do that."

"No, it's okay. I just didn't expect a question like this." he muttered and tried not to look so much confused. He had to know from the beginning that all of this was just Mal's credit. "I'm a close friend of Miles's daughter Mallorie so … I guess this could be some kind of patronage …" He shrugged with his shoulders sceptically and followed Cobb who began pacing in another direction that he and Mal had come from few minutes ago.

"Ah, so this is where we come from …" Cobb laughed and flashed through the group of loudly speaking students. Hallways were full of young people right now because of short gap between two lectures. They were walking in silence for a while, each of them lost in their own thoughts. And it was Dominic who began another conversation.

"Miles has got a daughter?" tried he again with unconcealed curiosity and surprise in his voice.

"Uhm … yes." Arthur nodded, didn't know what else to say.

"You know, I'm just curious because I've never heard about any Miles's children …" continued he pensively, hadn't noticed Arthur's lack of interest. "Hmm, honestly, he had never talked about his family." Arthur was looking around again, more watching the interior with interest and fascination than listening Dom's thoughts.

"How is she?"

"Who? Mal?" asked he hurriedly and turned his head back to Dominic. The other man was smiling again, visibly amused with Arthur's amazement because of college. "You can go and meet her by yourself." answered he when a little fact that Dom had probably asked him about something occurred to him. "She's actually studying here on the university, she's having a graduation this year."

"Really? I'm wondering if she's as good architect as Miles …"

"I don't know." admitted Arthur. "I've met Miles just few minutes ago so I really can't compare. But Mal is amazing architect, that's all I can say." responded he briefly with no emotions in his voice. His gaze slowly moved back to the interior and silence fell between them again. He felt Dom's searching glance as man tried to guess what he was thinking about but he did not paid much attention on it.

"You're not so talkative with strangers, are you?" said he finally, forcing Arthur to look back at him.

"Oh, sorry … I just …"

"No, that's okay, don't apologize. I'm dead sure you'll become more communicative until your graduation. And," His ever-present smile widened much more than before, "I understand you, I'm not also a great gasser. But enough of plain talking, let's start our little tour." He took a brief look around and then turned his head back to Arthur, slowing his pace. "So … you've already seen main lecture room where you'll have most of your lessons. Here is our library. I'll give you one advice - don't be afraid of librarian, she may look severe and gruesome but she is very disposed to help anyone."

Arthur looked at the glassed-in door leading to the library. The room looked quite big in spite of the fact that there was a lot of bookshelves jammed on each other. There were few students inside, they were talking with old thin woman and Arthur guessed it was the librarian Dom had talked about. In his opinion, she wasn't so gruesome. At least from afar. Dom gave him a nod and they continued in their tour.

"And here is …"

When Arthur finally entered his apartment it was around five in the afternoon. He spent three hours in the college but it seemed much shorter now. And honestly, he'd enjoyed the time he spent with Dom. He had showed him whole campus and they were talking and laughing a lot during that little trip. Arthur was surprised how easy their conversation flowed despite their shy beginnings and a fact that they knew each other for a while, and suddenly he found himself looking forward to their next meeting.

It was too soon for going out for a dinner and he had nothing else to do. Dominic had lent him some books to introduce him into the college's curriculum but he was too tired and lazy to read them. His gaze fell on the phone which was lying calmly on his bedside table and he slowly moved there and dialed the number he remembered so well.

"Yes?" asked soft voice with specific French accent on the other side.

"Hi Mal. It's me, Arthur."

"Arthur! I'm glad you're calling. Actually, I was wondering if you were back or not. How did you go?"

And then Mal started to ask Arthur about every detail of his first day at the college and he was patiently answering all these curious questions, attentively talking about his feelings and first impressions of that amazing place. He also asked her about Cobb but she hadn't ever heard about someone like that and she said she doesn't think she saw him before when he started to describe appearance of the man. Their conversation ended with Mal's regretful "I'm so sorry, I have to go, see you tomorrow, right?" and "Darling, I know it's too soon for that but good night. Sleep well, darling." and then she hung up and he put down the receiver, standing motionlessly in his dark room. Silence all around him felt more empty and heavy than before and he felt sudden wave of nostalgia for Mal's beautiful voice. He thought about going out and taking some food again but then he just moved to the coach and put out lazily Cobb's books.

He quite fast lost himself completely in narrow lines of letters and beautiful pictures and sketches and when he finally looked at the clock he realized it was already half past eight. He closed the book with big yawn and stood up to stretch his body. His back was aching because of long and hunched sitting and whole muscles were stiff and his mind was blur and hard-thinking. After his short warm-up he began wondering what he could do now. He still was not so hungry and he did not want to leave his place, too sluggish after this time he was reading, but also he didn't want to stay in his apartment and bury himself into the books for the rest of the evening. And he knew that all the tiredness would fade away when he start to do something more active. He looked at the clock again and then moved to the window, looking out and thinking about possibilities.

His apartment was located few minutes from the college and not so far from the Eiffel Tower. It was quite small but snug, with big windows oriented southward which was giving him plenty of light during the whole day. He had also quite nice view on the streets under him – crowded and busy, roads full of cars, rumbling and tooting, street musicians standing at the corners and playing on violins to earn some money, people in colorful clothes, pacing, running, talking, arguing, standing and looking around, … just living their own lives, each of them following their own goals, each of them all the same but also all different at the same time. And now he felt some distinctive need to went down there and join this moving crowd, lost himself in it, become a part of something bigger, and just follow the flow, let it lead him … somewhere. He knew why he always loved these big cities and it didn't take him much time to decide what to do now.

He went back to his apartment two hours later, full and satisfied. He decided to explore everything around the place he was living and for this evening he chose to overlook the left section. He got up to the river, walking past restaurants, shops and casinos, and then he began slowly pacing by the riverside and enjoying the cold breeze, breathing all the smells and watching people walking around him. He always liked watching everything what was going on all around, feeling and memorizing it. He loved noticing every bit of detail - movements of little girl's hair when it was drifting in the wind, differences between smiles that one man could gave to his children and to his wife, quiet music coming from some boat on the river … He was able to spend many hours just sitting on the bench and looking around, perceiving, memorizing, no matter what weather or daytime was. And Paris was full of interesting sensations, details and views to observe.

He fell onto the bed, too tired to switch on the light or do anything more. He closed his eyes, his thoughts drifting in every possible direction as he was lying motionlessly in his dark bedroom. He began to like this city. Not as much as L.A. where he was growing, this big and pulsating L.A. full of life and still moving, this L.A. he left behind, but it was enough to feel comfortable and pleasantly here. He though of his friends, his parents, of whole life he left there over the ocean, memories leisurely coming into his mind and moving away again, leaving him completely sure about his choice. He didn't regret he had arrived to France. The time he was going to spend here because of his studies would be nice, he was sure about it and he didn't want to waste it anywise. He wanted to enjoy every moment of his staying in Paris and just live, feel himself free and able to do almost anything. He was wondering about what he wanted to visit here in France and his mind slowly blew away and faded into the soothing darkness of dreams leaving behind his last thoughts devoted to his next day in the college …

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The End :P

So I hope you liked this chapter. Any constructive critique, comments, thoughts, ideas, grammar corrections, reviews, just anything would be SO MUCH welcomed :)) Comments kick me to write more (literally :D) and help me to improve my writing. I'd love to read what do you think about it ;))

And: I have already written 858 words to the next chapter so I hope I'll finish it soon :D


	3. Let's Build a Bridge First,February 2002

**Another chapter for this story. I know, it's all quite boring by the beginning but I promise that the best parts are coming ;D And I'm hoping someone will read it after all :D Leave some comments guys, it really helps me and I would love to know what are you thinking about this stuff ;))**

**Disclaimer: (again and again) I do not own Inception or any of its characters ;))**

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**LET'S BUILD A BRIDGE FIRST**

It's going to fall.

Arthur looked once more on sheets of paper full of cutouts, arrows and numbers to make sure, for at least hundredth time, of his conclusion. He checked every computation, every number again and again and did not find any mistake. His result was definitely right but he still better wrote all parameters into the computer program just to finally see the brightly red alert box silently appearing on the screen.

He made a miserable groan and irritably turned off the computer. He watched it darkening slowly, its quiet buzzing disappearing to the sudden darkness and silence of his room. He switched on a desk lamp and then moved his gaze at his sketches and notes, feeling himself so lost and shiftless. He was working on this project for almost three weeks just to find out finally that it's all was useless. His hand reached the nearest piece of paper and creased it into a small pellet which was subsequently thrown away angrily. He dropped his head **INTO** his palms, trying to calm down and clean his mind. His breath began to slowing down and muscles unlaxing and after few moments he had himself under control again, ready and able to think clearly. He closed his eyes and visualized a suspension bridge. It was the same bridge he was working on. He examined every part of his bridge, he saw it clearly and sharply despite of his closed eyes. He analyzed the situation slowly and systematically and tried to find possible mistakes. He saw towers and cables, bars, joints and husky pillars. He was touching it, feeling its cold surface, its solidity, perceiving its roughness under his fingers. He was standing on it and feeling the cold breeze on his cheeks, hearing gushing of water coming from the river. And then, suddenly, the ground disappeared from under his feet as his bridge collapsed.

He jerked and threw himself backward. For a split second, his body remained in the air and then, before he even could shriek out, he hit the floor hardly and painfully with groan of agony. He was lying on the carpet in disbelief, gasping for air and blinking into the sharp light of the lamp which was blaring right into his sleepy eyes. It took him few long seconds before he realized what just happened. He slowly turned on his belly and rose on elbows, feeling his back rejecting this movement, and looked around in surprise and shock. He was on the floor under his table, his chair was turned over as he threw himself back, a paper ball with his drawing was provocatively lying right in front of his nose and an alarm was perseveringly calling for his attention from a bedroom. He raised his eyebrows and began to laugh, loudly and uncontrollably. He couldn't believe he had already fallen down of the chair. It all felt so queer, unbelievable and ... _childlishly_. Finally, he stood up and went to pacify his alarm, stretching his aching back and arms, feeling his whole body rankling and refusing every movement he did. He stumbled into the bedroom and shut down the alarm before falling onto the bed. His muscles immediately exulted in joy, relaxing and enjoying this moment of rest. He had been sleeping maximum for three hours, which wasn't so much, before he ended up on the floor. Truly, he hadn't slept much for at least a week. His project simply hadn't allowed him to waste his time with "unnecessary" sleeping.

He rubbed his right arm which was sending most painful signals to his tired brain, afraid it was broken or twisted, carefully touching and kneading it. But after this short check-up all he found was, 'luckily', just one big reddish splotch which was slowly growing and turning blue and purple.

"Oh, great." Whispered he peevishly, grinning on blossoming bruise and whopped back onto pillows.

* * *

"So, where is your project?" The moment of Arthur's execution finally came. He took a deep breath trying to manage his speech and looked to the professor's expectative face.

"I don't have it." This was simple. He felt himself so wrong and guilty when he let these words pass through his mouth but he had to do this.

Miles raised his left eyebrow in surprise, making it curve in strange angle, watching him deeply like a biologist in his laboratory watches his experiment. He hated this feeling - feeling like he was under a microscope, being at the mercy of the authority above him.

"Why?" His voice was calm and full of ... understanding? Arthur looked at he man with surprise is his wide-opened eyes, not expected reaction like this. He expected loud yelling or at least disappointment looks and sharp flashes flying up from man's angry eyes. But not _understanding_.

"I ... I hadn't finished it in time." said he finally, knowing his lie was as transparent as a plastics ruler.

Miles smirked at him, slowly removing his glasses and putting them on the desk. "You have to lie better next time." noticed he with a ghost smile on his face. "So, what really happened to your poor sketches?"

Arthur sighed desperately, knowing he was at the end of his tether. "I ... I simply can't do this." complained he agonizedly. "It will fall down if I create it the way I designed it."

"Design it better." came a brief and fast answer. Was it really that simple? Arthur didn't think so. He snorted and gave a irritable look in professor's direction, not looking strictly in old man's eyes.

"I don't have any other ideas. I'm just totally ... fizzled out."

"Lemme see it." said Miles finally, his voice sounded more tired and given up than ever before and Arthur hurriedly looked at him with confusion radiating from his face. "Oh come on, I don't have a whole day on it. I hope you hadn't destroyed it or else ..." came more impatient answer which forced Arthur to shrink his head between his shoulders. He put out creasy paper with his main sketch and then other sheets, neatly placed in red plastics folder, and handed them to professor. There were minutes of breathless silence between them two before Miles finally spoke again.

"Well, it's not bad." said he thoughtfully. "But it's not good enough, of course. And you really can't see your mistakes?" He gave him a brief searching glance and then returned back to Arthur's sketches, carefully spreading them upon his desk.

"Uhm no. Maybe ..." began Arthur shyly, feeling himself uncomfortable and unable to speak. "God, I don't know!" sputtered he finally and let his body fell into a nearest chair. "Uhm I'm sorry, I just ..." He began apologizing clumsily when he saw Miles' severe face looking at him with some indescribable expression. "I had spent three weeks with that stuff and I'm still not able to finish it well."

"You're so concerned on details ..."

"This is what I'm saying from the start! I'm not as good architect as you think, I'm too detailed for this job ..."

"Would you let me finish my sentence or you'll continue in wasting your and mine time with useless monologue?" Arthur suddenly shut his mouth in embarrassment and quickly looked away from the man.

"Sorry ..." peeped he sheepishly.

Miles remained in silence for a few seconds before he continued again and Arthur would give everything to know what he was thinking about. "So, what I wanted to say was: you are too concerned on details. But do you remember what I had said you when we first met?" Uncomprehending expression on Arthur's face gave him the answer he wanted and he returned to his speech with tickled smile. "I told you that I don't see your detailness as a big disadvantage. Don't try to convert yourself. Just work with what you have. Don't fight your detailness, use it."

Arthur peeked back on the man, trying to guess if he stopped or not. When the silence between them remained more than ten seconds, he finally reached a view that professor was done for now.

"How can I do that?" asked he, despair and helplessness noticeable in his voice. He felt himself so tired and unable to think now and he was wondering about how nice it would be, crawling into the bed, close his eyes and just ...

"First you have to be patient." Miles gave him another sharp look to avoid him from interrupting him like he liked to do. "Second: resolve your sketch into smaller pieces. Make notes of things that could make any problem and then focus on them. For example, examine properly anchorage. Then move elsewhere. Check smaller parts and put them altogether. It's like a puzzle - you are creating whole picture with small pieces." He spoke slowly, trying to literally cut these words into Arthur's skull and Arthur was thankful for his teacher's patience and help despite of fact he was a terrible student.

"I'll call Dom. I think he could help you to make buildings better. You've got one week." said he finally, once for all ending this conversation. He was thoughtfully glancing on Arthur's sketches, like he was struggling with some huge dilemma. "And one more thing - Trust Dom. He's an amazing architect and he knows what he is doing, no matter how strange it might seem." This last remark left Arthur doubtful. Why shouldn't he trust to Dom? Well, they knew each other only for few weeks but they quickly became familiar with each other and grew comfortable in each others company. But professor really didn't seem to be wiling to answer other questions so he rather let it go, thanked and exit the classroom without any other word, tired and confused but ready to make his project perfect.

* * *

He met Cobb after brief lunch in first buffet he had found, not even feeling the taste of food he was eating because of impatience that was running through his whole body. He wanted to end all these thing about his project as fast as it was possible, to gave his sketches to Miles and never bother himself with them again. And when he finally saw well known figure appearing in the park, he jumped quickly on his legs and almost ran to meet his mentor.

"Oh my God!" was Dom's first reaction when he took a look on Arthur's sketch. "Are you a mass murderer or someone like that? You'll kill everyone around this bridge!"

"I know …" began he arguing in defense but Dom didn't let him to continue, seemed to be too zealous in his lecture to notice Arthur's remark.

"This part is too heavy, you had to lighten it here and here. And there, can you see it? You have to ..."

"Cobb, please." interposed him Arthur before the other man could gain speed which would turn this whole conversation into a long and impassionate monologue. He smiled shyly, trying to tag his thoughts into meaningful sentences which wouldn't insult the older man. "I wanna do it by myself." he began slowly and then added more fast and confidently. "I mean ... I appreciate that you're trying to help me but I have to learn how to create these stuffs by myself, right?"

Cobb looked at him in silence, unusual smile playing on his lips, and then handed him back his sketch.

"What?" asked Arthur confusedly when he saw Dom's strange look, like the man was lost somewhere in the past.

"Uhm, nothing. Just ... you remained me of myself when I was in your age."

They both laughed and stood from the park bench. "Shall we take a walk?"

* * *

They were talking together at least an hour during their walk. The weather was cold as always in these months in France but Arthur didn't mind this fact. He enjoyed the coldness and snow and all these "winter stuffs". As the one who had spent most of his life in hot L.A. he had seen the snow only on the TV screen before. And now there was plenty of this white "thing" all around him, falling from the sky, lying on the pavement and giving some strange, calm atmosphere to everything all around him.

Cobb suddenly stopped and Arthur realized they went on a bridge. Man slowly moved to its edge and looked down at the river calmly flowing under their feet. Arthur imitated him silently, leaning against cold railing, and glanced above him on bulky cables and a grey sky beyond them.

"So, what are you going to do with your sketch?" asked Dom after a moment of comfortable silence. Arthur looked back at him, feeling himself somehow strange like he had already forgotten something important.

"Uhm … I'll finish it, of course and then …" He paused suddenly and looked around him once more. He felt Dom's eyes fixed on him, he could tell that now there was again this strange ghost smile on man's face, but he didn't pay attention to it. He was just totally … shocked.

"Cobb …" began he scaredly, turning back at the man. He tightened a grip on the railing and let his eyes run on its surface. He couldn't be wrong. He knew this bridge so well to be wrong. But it just could not be possible.

"Arthur?" He didn't hear it. He stepped back from Dom, finally stopping holding cold banister and feeling himself lost without its support, blinking confusedly and frightenedly, feeling everything shaking like during an earthquake. Scare and panic filled his whole body and his self-control was gone suddenly. All he wanted to do was just running away, like wild animal haunted by a predator. His instincts were crying for escape, adrenalin running through his veins and flooding his muscles, getting them ready for last fight for survivance. He found himself screaming as he lost ground from under his feet like in his dream that night and all he felt was unsophisticated pure fear. His hands were scrabbling all around, trying to find something steady to grip, but there was nothing but heavy falling pieces of concrete.

"Just keep calm." shouted Dom from somewhere before his body landed on something sharp and unbelievable pain hit his mind like a knife.

* * *

Arthur woke up with a loud yell. He felt his muscles tense, breath fast and unsteady and blood in veins pulsating so fast like every heartbeat should be the last. He felt himself so tired like he had been running for weeks, he was sweaty and his body was uncontrollably shivering. Arthur closed his eyes for a while, leaning back on a lounge chair, trying to compose himself and organize his rattled thoughts. He was safe now. He was in Dom's apartment, uninjured and alive. Everything was okay. But feeling of fear and dying still remained in his brain like a parasite, not wanting to fade away.

"You're alright, hear me? It was just a dream." He heard Dom's voice coming from near and he forced himself to open his eyes and look at the older man in confusion. He found Cobb sitting few inches from him, his eyes worriedly fixed on him, making sure he was okay. "Arthur, can you hear me? It was just a dream." repeated he slowly, properly pronouncing every word he was saying.

"So … all this time we were talking … it was …" He didn't finish his sentence. He already knew the answer, all he had to do was just to admit it. But … everything in the dream had felt so real and it was too hard for him to accept it wasn't true. The cold breeze, little drops of water from the river, snow under his feet, fear when the bridge began to collapse …

"And Miles thinks it may help me to build better?" asked he finally when his breath returned to its normal pace. He automatically pressed his palms on the place he remembered that something stabbed his body. His gaze was fixed on this place on the left side of his stomach, searching for any trace of damage. He was expecting big hole in his body, blood running wildly from it and painting his white shirt red. But there was no blood. No pain. No falling bridge.

Dom nodded, softly removing a needle from Arthur's shaking wrist and taking it back into the silver case. "Yes. This lucid dreaming really may help you to improve your building skills … If you let it, of course."

Arthur was thinking about this offer. Dom and Miles were proposing him a chance to build things in the dream world, in the infinite world without any boundaries. They proposed him to teach him all things that were necessary to create buildings in the dream and simultaneously which were necessary to build in the real world. It was offer which he simply can't deny. But honestly, all this dream stuff was quite strange for his rational and logic mind and he could hardly admit that something like this could be possible. It was hardly believable. But it was also so attractive...

"Oh God, what happened to you?" came surprised remark and Arthur turned dully his head back to Dom. "Your hand." pointed he with a grin "It's blue like a basket full of blueberries."

Arthur sneered briefly and rolled down sleeves of his shirt. Dom's remark returned him a little bit of his previous leasureliness, but it still didn't erase bad feelings he had. "I just … fell of a chair." he answered ashamedly and was so glad Dom didn't begin to laugh.

"You don't have to give me your answer right now." spoke Dom again from his case. "I don't want to force you into something you don't like. I'm just offering you one way to teach you how to build better buildings without any casualties and it doesn't mean there are no other ways."

"Give me a day." begged Arthur, slowly removing himself from the lounge chair. "I have to think about it for a while in private." Translated into comprehensible words - he was still too scared and shaken to think and talk to anyone right now.

"Give me a call when you'll be ready."

Arthur looked at Dom who was smiling strangely again, trying to cheer him up. But there was also some trace of worry and care in his blue eyes. Like Dom was afraid he is going to jump out of the window right now or something like that and Arthur felt so uncertain to deny this anxiety. He really wasn't sure what he was able to do after all this dream thing. Well okay, there _was_ one thing he was sure about by now.

"I'll do. Tomorrow."


End file.
